Week 23 of NBA basketball is done and all the participants in this year’s postseason are set. However, with only a little more than a week left in regular season play, teams are battling it all out to get a better positioning in the standings in their respective conferences and better NBA rankings.
Today, we will take a look at the ranking of all 30 NBA teams after week 24.
Which teams made a huge stride in this week’s NBA rankings?
30. Detroit Pistons (Last Week’s Rank: 30)
Pistons fans are arguably happy that the regular season is about to end as it has been a nightmare ride for them since October. Time for a break from all the losing this year and looking at their atrocious NBA ranking.
29. Washington Wizards (Last Week’s Rank: 29)
The Wizards officially have their most losses in a season which is now 64 games. Expect that number to add as there are still a few games left in the regular season.
28. Charlotte Hornets (Last Week’s Rank: 28)
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This team needs a hard reset in the upcoming off-season. They need to add a few more players in order to be competitive in the future. Another 60-loss season is bound to happen again for this hapless franchise.
27. Portland Trail Blazers (Last Week’s Rank: 27)
Deandre Ayton has been playing well as of late but their NBA ranking as a team never quite stood out throughout the entire season. The losses just kept piling up for the Blazers.
Also read: Ranking The Most Annoying NBA Fanbase Of All-Time From WORST To FIRST
26. San Antonio Spurs (Last Week’s Rank: 28)
Without Sochan, Johnson and Vassell, the Spurs have played their best stretch of basketball in recent weeks. They need to hunt for a legitimate point guard this summer to pair with Victor Wembanyama.
25. Toronto Raptors (Last Week’s Rank: 25)
The Raptors seemingly can’t get any win in the last few weeks. It’s good though that posted a couple of wins to end week 24 of NBA basketball.
24. Memphis Grizzlies (Last Week’s Rank: 24)
The Grizzlies are still competing despite what the NBA rankings say. They probably got a morale boost when they soundly beat the Bucks this past week.
23. Utah Jazz (Last Week’s Rank: 22)
The Jazz has nothing to play for so they’ve decided to give their young guys some meaningful minutes to end the season. They need some big decisions in the summer whether to keep their core or blow it all up.
22. Brooklyn Nets (Last Week’s Rank: 23)
This season continues to be a disappointment for the Nets as they have made a miscalculation to give Mikal Bridges the keys to the franchise after a stellar year last season. As a result, their NBA rankings suffered throughout the year.
21. Houston Rockets (Last Week’s Rank: 19)
After climbing the NBA rankings in the last few weeks, the Rockets suddenly went cold and now are officially out of the play-in tournament race.
20. Atlanta Hawks (Last Week’s Rank: 21)
The Hawks certainly need Trae Young to come back healthy before the play-in tournament starts more than a week from now. On a side note, they should keep Dejounte Murray at all costs.
19. Chicago Bulls (Last Week’s Rank: 20)
After the Bulls secured a play-in spot, their play just went down a notch or two in week 24. Perhaps they know that it’s a waste of effort to move up in the standings with everybody having a superior record over them.
Also read: Ranking All 30 NBA Arenas From Worst To First At The Mid-Way Point Of The 2023 Season
18. Golden State Warriors (Last Week’s Rank: 18)
It certainly looks like the Warriors can no longer realistically secure a top 6 finish in the West this season. Their loss against the Mavs this past week was truly a heartbreaker for the franchise.
17. Los Angeles Lakers (Last Week’s Rank: 16)
The Lakers are playing well as of late and their NBA rankings dramatically improved within the last couple of weeks. They still have an outsider’s chance to secure a top 6 finish in the West if everything falls into shape.
16. Miami Heat (Last Week’s Rank: 15)
The Heat are currently chasing the tails of the Indiana Pacers for a guaranteed playoff spot this season. However, the chances of it happening are getting slimmer by the day.
15. Philadelphia 76ers(Last Week’s Rank: 17)
With Embiid back, the Sixers are finally trending in the right direction in the NBA rankings. They currently sit at the 7th spot in the East with only a game behind the Pacers.
14. Sacramento Kings (Last Week’s Rank: 13)
The Kings aren’t as deadly as they once were with Huerter and Monk out of the lineup. Even if they make the playoffs, an early first-round exit wouldn’t really surprise anybody.
13. Indiana Pacers (Last Week’s Rank: 14)
The Pacers are playing well as of late and are solidifying their case to secure a top 6 finish in their conference this season. Their NBA rankings remained steady and that bodes well for their franchise.
12. Cleveland Cavaliers (Last Week’s Rank: 10)
This is certainly not the right time to play hapless basketball but the Cavs apparently did not get the memo. They are sliding fast in the East standings and things might get uglier soon.
11. New Orleans Pelicans (Last Week’s Rank: 8)
After much hope for the Pelicans, they inexplicably suffered in the NBA rankings due to their inability to finish the game on a strong note. They are still within reach of the sixth seed though.
10. Phoenix Suns(Last Week’s Rank: 12)
Unlike other teams in the West, the Suns are doing the best they can to avoid the play-in tournament by playing well on the court. Right now they sit at the 6th spot in their conference.
9. New York Knicks (Last Week’s Rank: 9)
Even though Julius Randle was officially listed to miss their potential playoff run this season, the Knicks’ NBA rankings remained steady due to Jalen Brunson’s brilliant playmaking and leadership.
8. Orlando Magic (Last Week’s Rank: 11)
This season is arguably the most successful one of the Magic since the Dwight Howard era. They finally have the foundation to become a very good team in the future and their fans are happy about their progress.
7. Milwaukee Bucks (Last Week’s Rank: 4)
The Bucks have been a huge disappointment ever since Doc Rivers took over at the helm as head coach. They now have lost to cellar-dwelling teams at an alarming rate to end the season. Are they contenders? Maybe not if they continue playing this way.
6. Dallas Mavericks (Last Week’s Rank: 7)
The Mavs are looking like a legitimate threat to challenge Denver’s reign in the West as of late. Not in the NBA rankings, but in the playoffs. Kyrie and Luka are having a lot of fun right now.
5. Los Angeles Clippers (Last Week’s Rank: 6)
The Clips are playing admirably with Kawhi Leonard sidelined in week 24. The 4th spot in the West is almost secured and a potential clash with the Mavericks in the first round of this year’s playoffs is nothing but 95% guaranteed.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (Last Week’s Rank: 3)
The Thunder are in a little bit of a slump as of late. As a result, they went from 1st to 3rd in the Western Conference standings this past week. Their NBA rankings took a hit too but a top-three finish is definitely guaranteed at this point.
3. Minnesota Timberwolves (Last Week’s Rank: 5)
Anthony Edwards should get some love in the MVP voting at the end of the regular season due to his stellar play throughout the year. If KAT comes back to play in the playoffs, then they would be a tough matchup in a seven-game series.
2. Denver Nuggets (Last Week’s Rank: 2)
With Jamal Murray back in the lineup after a seven-game absence, the Nuggets are primed to defend their title again in the upcoming playoffs. Things are clicking extremely well for the team as of late and Nikola Jokic should win another MVP award this season.
1. Boston Celtics (Last Week’s Rank: 1)
After a mini-slump against the Atlanta Hawks last week, the Celtics are right back on track in their winning ways. Their NBA rankings have been very impressive throughout the season and there’s no doubt that they will continue to perform at a high level in the upcoming playoffs. Is this NBA team the real deal? They should be.
Also read: All 30 NBA Teams’ Mount Rushmore…Which 4 Players Made It For Your Favorite Team?
